


a second home

by sweetgoodgraciousangel



Category: Ni no Kuni
Genre: he is apart of their big family, this is just about leanders first day at evermore, write more content about leander cowards. you absolute fools.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2019-04-18 06:38:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14207301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetgoodgraciousangel/pseuds/sweetgoodgraciousangel
Summary: Leander knew it for certain, even if he had hardly been there a day.Evermore was his second home.





	a second home

The breakfast has a distinct lack of being pulled freshly from the sea, and that’s one of the many things Leander had taken notice of simply within the first few hours of the morning.

The meal instead consists of a thick porridge cooked up by none other than the chef that Evan had gratefully (and conveniently) found along the way of his journey, and he stands there watching them eat with a slight glint of sweat on his brow from his efforts. Fresh fruits are cut and laid artistically beside of the pristine bowl, and cups of either milk or coffee clinked ever so often as those around the table would raise them to their mouths for a sip, setting it down quietly as if to not break the peace that the morning brought. Small talk was never louder than a whisper, all too busy stuck in waking up fully to begin their day to be too noisy just yet.

The food isn't salty, Leander thought. And for some reason, he also thought that to be _odd_. It's unfamiliar with the palate he'd been so accustomed to in Hydropolis. Instead, it’s _sweet_. There’s just the right amount of sugar, and surely some crushed up chunks of blueberries scattering within the oats, adding a rather interesting flavor to the mix. It was actually well-done for a chef who claimed to be not-so-great at his chosen work yet, and Leander watched as the faces around the table patted the corners of their mouths with napkins and sang praises to the grimalkin, who wore a smile with pride.

It’s also not fish, he acknowledged. It felt like every meal in Hydropolis had everything to do with the seas around them, yet now that he’s indulging in something that didn’t need to be cleaned of scales before consuming, he feels as if it’s put him off. However, not in a bad way. It was that feeling you get after you do something you've never done before, he would describe.

“Is it… fine?” Floyd asks cautiously, realizing he was the only one who hadn't said a word yet. Leander immediately snapped out of his haze. Forbid that he be rude after only his first night in Evermore.

“Absolutely. You’re learning well.” He said, and the chef smiled once more, all previous hesitation gone. Leander raises his coffee cup to take a long drink, indulging in the sweetened bitterness, feeling as if it was beginning to refresh him. He didn't indulge in coffee often (certainly didn't down a cup of the stuff like Roland could, Leander noticed, as he quietly asked if Floyd minded filling up his mug a third time) but it was a great kick start some days if he felt like he needed it.

It’s not bad, he was beginning to believe. It’s different, and Nerea was nowhere near here, but he was fine.

“Did you sleep well last night, Leander?” Evan asked after they finished up their meal. Leander offered to help Floyd clean the mess, but the man was more than enthusiastic to leave the task to himself after the praise he had received. It might have been simple, but it was yet another thing he could cook up with ease. Even small successes were still successes.

Sleep, however…

“Well enough. I’ll adjust after a few nights, I’m sure.”

He missed the distant sound of the rocking waves. He was almost always lulled to sleep by the water hitting the shores of the city in Hydropolis, calmed by the rhythmic patterns. Evan’s expression dropped slightly, but Leander was sure to give his best reassuring expression he could.

“It’s admirable you’ve built your palace up this much thus far. I’m quite comfortable here.”

That wasn’t a lie. The bed was as soft as he preferred and though he might not have the waves to keep him company, he could hear the soft winds of the Heartlands brushing up against the windows. Not enough to be jarring, but enough to be comforting to listen to. It was _warm_ in this place, with such a small community dedicated to helping their king as much as they could. Leander was impressed that a kingdom could be this close to one another.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Evan said. “I think just for a few days, we might take things a little slow. Feel free to relax and do as you please. If we need to discuss anything, I’ll make sure to gather all of us.”

Leander nodded his understanding, and with that Evan turned around with a chipper step in his walk and headed off somewhere further into the kingdom, Lofty nearly tripping over his feet trying to catch up with the swift moving boy. Leander almost wished he asked what exactly he meant by that, and it left him at a loss for words. What _was_ there to do around here? He didn't know much about this place at all. There’s not even really any official business he would find himself delving into today...

His feet began to move on their own. Instead of standing around, he found himself absentmindedly taking a stroll around the kingdom itself, taking in the sights and taking a deep breath of air that was clear of sea mist. He observed the buildings still being built, the early-morning hardworking people chatting among themselves about the construction plans for the day, and occasionally he would brush into a citizen that would greet him with a bright smile, introducing themselves and welcoming him into the place they now called home.

It was beautiful here. Hydropolis had breathtaking sights, but Evermore had its very own charm to it. Every interaction he had drew tension out of his body and he allowed a small smile to eventually rise up onto his lips, as fleeting as it was. He sometimes forgot he could appear so stern.

He’s not quite sure how, but he ended right back up into his room around late noon, sitting on the edge of his bed while looking down at his shoes, hands clasped together in front of him on his lap.

Everyone looked busy today, so there wasn’t anyone he could strike a conversation with…

And he didn’t know what pleasantries were built yet for him to enjoy.

He kind of wished… he had grabbed a book or two from Hydropolis before coming all the way out here. He supposed he might have considered himself a little ill-prepared for this kind of free time, the thought not even crossing his mind as he gathered what necessities he knew he'd need. Engaging in some of his studies always seemed to do the trick where he had small moments he could lose himself in learning things he hadn’t known before. He supposed, after living three centuries, that he’d become a little knowledgeable on a lot of different subjects that way. Even if his "free time" back in Hydropolis only consisted of a couple of minutes, it could amount to a long time over many years.

Still, that only left him right now with his thoughts. It made him think about what had happened before he came to be in Evermore. He thought about Nerea and her radiance, thought about the fact he was going to marry her, and found himself sighing quietly, lost in those thoughts that only concerned her. The negative in it all he kept at bay in favor of thinking about the positive. It was enough to almost make him drift off to sleep should he have not been so keen on not taking a nap (even if it was necessary, he wasn't fond of things like that).

He watched the sun begin to make its descent from where he sat on the bed. Evening was coming, and the night would draw near. He hadn’t even realized how much of the day he had wasted by his stroll and conversations he had with people. His stomach grumbled, and he clasped a hand over it out of surprise. How out of it had he been?

“Leander?” The voice squeaked, unmistakably belonging to Evan. There was a small knock at his door. “Floyd is about to start cooking dinner if you’re hungry! He says he wants to try out a dish he heard about in his cookbook.”

Leander managed to shake away his thoughts, rising from his bed (coming to notice he had laid back on it sometime ago) and stepped out of his room. Evan greeted him with an enthusiastic smile, walking by his side as they prepared to gather with the group within the castle once more for another meal.

“Was today fine?” Evan asked, as attentive and eager as he had been that morning.

“Evermore is a very lovely place, Evan. You’re doing a great job.”

It would grow more lovely as time passed, Leander would bet. After all, even if he spent a small part of this day on his own, he believed he would find it quite happy here. It was almost impossible to feel completely out of place in a kingdom like this. All the people were happy and their king was bursting at the seams with determination to make it grow into a place for all.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Evan said, looking ahead. There was a gleam in his eyes. “I want to make it even better, for everyone here now and those who may come in the future.”

He believed he could do it. There was no putting out the fire that burned within him.

Leander seated himself in the same place he had that morning. Everyone else had joined, all of their faces glowing from their day out in the sun. Leander would have to try and venture out just a little further than he had tomorrow. He circled a good chunk of the kingdom, but he should poke around in some of the shops, and perhaps prepare something in advance to buy something out of courtesy. He should also make time to ask Evan, out of curiosity, what those buildings in the process of being built were going to be for.

Batu laughed as Tani rolled her eyes, Roland quietly shaking his head with an amused smile at the conversation the two were having. Evan was swinging his feet since the chair sat him a little higher off the ground than he was tall, and Leander couldn’t help but notice the close-knit feeling that they brought to the table.

They were a family, through and through. Leander wondered if he could consider himself apart of that.

“Let’s ask Leander then!” Tani exclaimed, snapping her head toward him as Batu crossed his arms with a smirk. “Do you think the higgledies - “

She rambled on about some sort of odd theory she had, and Leander almost fumbled as he pushed his glasses back up onto his nose. He replied, and with that Tani sat back onto her seat with the biggest grin as it was Batu’s expression that now dropped into disbelief. Evan laughed alongside Roland, and Leander couldn’t suppress his snicker at the shock on his face. There was the smell of something delightful wafting from the kitchen area, and he couldn’t help but make a small comment about the aroma. 

He didn’t quite have his doubts from the beginning when he came along with them. There were things he was unsure about, yes, but those were typical things that always came from a change of scenery. And as the meal was served and the chatter died down, Floyd once more standing aside with a sheepish grin on his face.

Leander knew it for certain, even if he had hardly been there a day.

Evermore was his second home, and he may have not known the group for long but they'd taken him in apart of their family with no hesitation. That thought made him quite serene.

He had no trouble sleeping that night when it came, calmed by the noises of the wind.

**Author's Note:**

> wheres... all the leander content... wh ere??


End file.
